Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Waiting for rejection

This is topic Waiting for rejection in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by JmariC (Member # 2698) on :

I finally submitted a short (flash fiction) short to a publication with the intent of being paid.
How do you deal with the waiting for your first rejection (or acceptance)?

Did you focus on other works?
Did you give writing a break and focus on your full time job (or schooling)?
Did you wait on pins and needles?
Did you find others who can sympathize and spend time whining? (cuz that sounds really tempting)

What did you do on your first time?

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

Mostly, I recommend just forgetting about it. It's out of your control now; there are better uses of your time and energy than fretting about it.

Of course you will indulge in fantasies about your story being accepted; that's normal. You will also secretly be convinced that it will be rejected; that's both normal and likely.

But do your very best to focus on something more productive.

And, congrats on getting something out there. It's a big step.

Posted by BuffySquirrel (Member # 2780) on :

Personally I try to forget about it. That excludes whining to friends, because they'll remind you by asking if you've heard yet. Have you heard yet? Have you heard yet?

Write something new.

Posted by Paul-girtbooks (Member # 2799) on :

Here's how I break it down:

if you go in for the whole oh-how-I-suffer-for-my-art kind of thing, then fine. But do that whilst you're writng. During the process of writing the story belongs to you, it's an extremely personal experience, so don't show it to anybody.

But when it's finished -

- it's no longer yours.

It becomes a product you have to improve and sell. Post a fragment and get folks to knock it over and kick it around. Revise it - coldly. Its a product, it's got faults, it ain't fit for public comsumption. Rub it out and draw it back in again. You get the idea.

Then send your product out and absolutely and totally and completely forget about it.

Next get back to creating art. Lose yourself in a story, roll in it and love it and have just the bestest fun in the world and stroke your ego by telling yourself that it's the greatest thing anyone's ever written. This is your moment: be selfish.

Then start the whole process all over again: you finish it, it's no longer yours, it's a product concept that you hand over to the rest of your colleagues who tell you what works, what doesn't and what needs to be done in order to make it a sellable product. It's not personal any longer, it's business.

Just remember that: after the story's written it becomes business.

[This message has been edited by Paul-girtbooks (edited September 25, 2005).]

Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :

I think that Paul hit the nail right on the head.

Ronnie

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

Yep.
Best way is to forget about it and start something new. It gets easier when you have a couple of works in the circuit, so you don't have to wait for a particular rejection.